What might commonly be referred to as a junk fly makes its way to the end of my line pretty often. And for certain times of the year, through the summer and through the winter, I lean on junk flies as my go-to staples.

But my understanding of junk flies has evolved over time. I get it now. You can’t just put any kind of bright, flashy materials on a hook and fool trout. There’s a reason why trout eat these flies. And there’s a reason why these patterns shine for so long and then fall off at the end of a season. There’s also a huge difference between the way stocked trout respond to some junk flies vs the way wild trout respond.

We fish junk flies because they are fun. Because trout move to them more than other flies, sometimes. And because we can often see the fly in the water, allowing us to sight fish and learn something different. 

What is a junk fly? Why and when do they work? These are the questions for this podcast. 

I'm joined by the Troutbitten crew: Matt Grobe, Josh Darling, Trevor Smith, Bill Dell and Austin Dando. 

We Cover the Following

• Defining a junk fly
• Is it always a nymph?
• Why do trout eat junk flies?
• How do trout respond differently?
• The Bait and Switch
• Are they dirty flies?
• Is it cheating?
• Does it take less skill to catch trout on a junk fly?
• . . . and more

Resources

READ: Troutbitten | Super Fly -- The Story of a Squirmy Wormy
READ: Troutbitten | Mop Fly Thoughts

 

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